You and Me
by Rhianna-Aurora
Summary: This is a response to yet another LJ challenge, this time for a songfic. Set post X-2, Unbeknownst to Rikku, Auron has returned from the Farplane. Will they find each other on the crowded streets of Luca? One-shot


**A/N: This is just another little response to a challenge on LJ ... Enjoy it for what it's worth. Reviews would be lovely :) **

The song is "You and Me" by Lifehouse. Everyone should listen to this song!

_Part One - Rikku_

_What day is it? And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive  
I can't keep up and I can't back down  
I've been losing so much time_

I woke up that morning, confused as to where I was, and knowing that there was _something_ important going on today. _Ugh._ My brain never works right first thing in the morning.

"Rikku!" Yunie's voice called from outside the door. "Rikku, get up, we'll be late! It's so crowded here today … I hope we can find a seat."

Right. Opening day of blitzball season. We had all come down to stay in Luca the night before. "We" being Yunie and Tidus, Wakka and Lulu. Kimahri was supposed to meet us at the café later on today, and then we were all going to go watch the games.

We were all here … All except for _one_ … Hmmm … best not to think about him. Otherwise, I'll be seriously depressed, and I'll bum everyone else out.

_Dammit, Auron!_ I cursed in my head. _Why did you have to be dead? Why did you leave me?_

"Give me just a couple of minutes, Yunie!" I called back, climbing out of bed. I stumbled across the room toward the washbasin and mirror and made a face at my reflection.

_Total_ bed-head. Blech. I grabbed my comb and had my morning wrestling match with my masses of wheat-colored hair. When it was sufficiently de-snarled, I wrapped my blue bandana around my head and pulled the rest up into its normal ponytail. I decided to forgo the braids for today – too time consuming.

I quickly dressed in a bright yellow halter-top and khaki-colored shorts, pulling on my sandals as I hopped down the hallway toward the lobby of the Luca Inn. "Sorry, guys, I'm ready now!" I said as I saw that everyone else was sitting around, looking at me impatiently.

"Geez, Rikku, I dunno if we're even gonna get to see any of the games now. I mean, they're probably half over, ya?" Wakka said jokingly.

I glared at him defiantly. "Well, someone could have come to wake me up _earlier_, you know?" I shot back.

Yuna smiled softly. "He's just teasing. The games don't start for another three hours. It's just …" she paused and looked out the window at the streets of Luca.

_Throngs_ of people, everywhere you looked. There was hardly room to even _move_. I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "You know what I miss?" I said as I grabbed a cup of coffee from the complimentary breakfast bar.

"What?" Lulu asked from her spot next to Wakka. They had been married almost two years now … shortly after we beat Sin, they had come to the conclusion that they were in love, and had proceeded to get married. And they also had a baby. A boy with flame-red hair, just like his daddy. Lulu was cradling the bundled baby in her arms at that very moment.

"I miss when it was just _us_. I mean, yeah, Sin was _uber_ bad and everything … but now that there _is _no more Sin … there's just … _people_ … everywhere," I replied.

Yuna looked at me sympathetically. "It's not so bad," she said. She looked at Tidus and smiled her tiny "I-love-you smile". "I mean, yeah there's lots of people, but sometimes, I just forget about them."

I almost rolled my eyes at her sappy sentiment, but then I paused. There had been a time, not so very long ago … I had been able to do the very same thing.

_'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people_  
_With nothing to do, nothing to lose  
__And it's you and me, and all of the people  
__And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

On the pilgrimage, as we'd travel from place to place, I'd sometimes fall behind the rest of the group, because I'd start daydreaming in the way that we fifteen-year-old Al Bheds are prone to do.

Auron always snapped me out of my reveries. I'd be walking along, alone, doing just fine, thank you very much, and suddenly, _he'd_ be there.

I always felt lost when he was there … and I also felt like I was back Home, where I belonged, when he was there. He was a walking contradiction, a mixture of icy hardness on the outside and warm and melty goodness deep down, once you got through his carefully laid defenses.

He always walked with me … it made me mad at first, like maybe he thought I was incapable and would get into trouble if he weren't there to supervise. Especially considering he never said anything. We'd just walk, and I'd look at him, and I'd forget where I was … I'd forget everything except _him_.

Yeah, I had a crush on him very early on. It took him longer … but once he started _really_ talking to me, it was all over for both of us. Love came and took us completely by surprise. It wasn't something either of us had been looking for, and _definitely _not with each other!

He kissed me for the first and only time right before we went down into Zanarkand. It was brief – only a few seconds – and completely chaste. But I had thought that the promise of our future was in that kiss.

I had been wrong.

First came Yunalesca, and the unbearable realization that the man I had fallen in love with was … _dead_. And then, we fought Sin, and we won … and I had to watch Yunie dance for him.

It's been a long two years, but it's slowly but surely gotten better. When Tidus came back, I had a minor setback, but it's okay now. _I'm _okay now. Happy, even.

Some nights though, when I can't sleep … I remember, and I cry a little. But nobody else knows that … I'm still the happy, upbeat girl that everyone knows and loves (at least, I_ hope_ they love me).

But, Gods, I miss him.

**_Part Two - Auron_**

_All of the things that I want to say_  
_Just aren't coming out right  
I'm tripping on words  
You've got my head spinning  
I don't know where to go from here_

Luca was certainly different from what it had been. Blitzball had always drawn quite a crowd, yes, but this year, it seemed as if every man, woman, and child in Spira had shown up for Opening Day.

I stood in my room on the second floor of the Luca Inn, staring out the window at the thousands of people filling the streets. It was odd, this being alive again. Yes, I knew why I was back, and I'd be lying if I said the idea didn't terrify me.

Was she here? In Luca? Had she come to Opening Day?

Would she want to see me, if she _was_ here? Would my whole reason for being back be _glad_ that I was back?

So many questions. I'm hardly used to it. Things were – simpler when I was dead. Or, they had been, before _she _had come along.

A blur of yellow caught my eye in the street below the hotel. I felt my heart in my throat when I saw her, standing with Yuna and Tidus, Lulu and Wakka, laughing. She was laughing that full-bodied laugh, the one where she threw her head back. I couldn't help but wonder what was so funny.

But I didn't have time to wonder … if I was going to catch her, I needed to move quickly, before I lost her in the crowd, forever.

I had until sundown. It was after noon now. The Higher Powers had sent me back, saying I was a "hero", and as such, I was allowed to return to Spira, as I was when first I died, and try to reclaim that which was denied to me before. If I could do that within the timeframe given me, I would be allowed to live the out the rest of my mortal life on Spira.

If not … well … there'd really be no reason for me to stay.

So here I am, at the age of twenty-five, but with the mind and experience of a much older man. I am without the scars … I wonder what she would think of me now? Will she want _this_ Auron … or has she moved on?

I quickly pulled on my coat and hurried out the door, hoping that they hadn't gotten too far in the crowd yet.

I reached the streets of Luca and scanned the crowd. I saw her, far ahead of me, completely out of reach. I pushed my way through the crowd, never taking my eyes off of her.

She had grown up in the last couple of years. She was still Rikku, but there was a maturity that hadn't been there before, and, if it was possible, even _more_ confidence than she had had on the pilgrimage.

I had to get to her … she was _everything_ that was good in my world. She had brought sunshine into the very darkest part of my life, and I had to thank her for that, at _least_.

_'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people_  
_With nothing to do, nothing to prove  
__And it's you and me, and all of the people  
__And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

It was maddening, trying to reach someone who was so very near you – yet miles and miles away. If only she would turn around … She would see me, wouldn't she? She wasn't so far …

"Rikku!" I called out, loud as I dared. Over the din of the people, I wasn't sure she could hear anything at all. "Rikku!" Still fighting through the crowd, drawing ever near her.

I saw her head turn, looking for the owner of the voice. "Rikku!" I called again, pushing my way even closer.

She turned, said something to Yuna, her brow furrowed. Yuna responded, and Rikku scratched her cheek with her index finger thoughtfully. I smiled to myself. That was a trademark Rikku move.

Not far now … "_RIKKU!_" I yelled, much louder now.

She spun around now, eyes frantically searching the crowd. I held up my arm … and then, her dizzying green spirals found me.

**_Part Three - Rikku_**  
_  
There's something about you now  
I can't quite figure out_

Someone was yelling my name. The voice was _so familiar_. I whipped my head around in every direction, looking for who it could possibly be. But every face I saw was a blur, and I wasn't even sure what direction it was coming from.

"Yunie!" I said. "Do you _hear_ that?"

Yuna looked at me questioningly. "Hear what?"

"Rikku!" Again … there it was … but _where_?

"That!" I cried, biting my lip and scratching my cheek subconsciously as I looked around.

"_RIKKU!_"

I spun, and this time, I was frantic, my eyes searched every face. I saw someone's arm go up, and my eyes went there automatically.

"Oh, my … Oh, Gods!" I whispered hoarsely. "A – Auron?"

Yuna's eyes followed mine, and her jaw dropped. "Rikku! Go!" she said, giving me a shove in his direction.

I pushed my way through the crowd – there were _so many people_, I bumped into and jostled several of them – but I didn't _see_ a single one of them. My eyes never left his face as I fought my way through the crowd toward him.

**_Part Four - Auron_**

_Everything she does is beautiful  
Everything she does is right_

She started coming toward me, and I started walking to her. It was torture of the worst kind, being close enough to see her, but not to touch her.

I wished that the rest of the world would just disappear … just long enough for me to reach her. _Just let me get her in my arms … _

"Auron!"

Only a few more feet … Rikku broke into a run as soon as she had room, and soon, her arms were wrapped around me, her face buried in my neck.

_**Part Five - Rikku**_

'_Cause it's you and me, and all of the people  
__With nothing to do, nothing to lose  
__And it's you and me, and all of the people  
__And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you  
__  
It's you and me, and all of the people  
__With nothing to do, nothing to prove  
__And it's you and me, and all of the people  
__And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_

Everything fell into place the second I fell into his arms. I didn't care why he was back, I didn't care _how_. All that mattered was – _he was back_. "Auron …" I breathed into his neck. "I've missed …"

I didn't get to finish that sentence. Before I knew it, my mouth was crushed under his, and this kiss was most definitely _not_ chaste in the slightest. I sighed against his lips, and he only kissed me harder.

He finally pulled away, after leaving me completely breathless. "Rikku," he said, his brown _eyes_ (his scar was gone! I hadn't even noticed!) searching mine earnestly. "I am sorry for everything that happened on Yuna's journey," he said. "But you'd make me very happy if you would take me back."

I looked at him and shook my head. "Oh, Auron," I said with a sigh.

He looked worried. "What? Am I too late?"

I laughed finally. "Silly Auron," I said brightly. "I can't take you back."

"Why?" he asked, his handsome face marred with disappointment.

"I can't take you back, Auron, because I never gave you away to begin with!"

Another kiss … and this time, I _knew_ it was going to last forever.

_What day is it? And in what month?_  
_This clock never seemed so alive_


End file.
